THE inclusion once again of Matthew Hoggard in the England squad means that Yorkshire could have four players in the crucial fourth Test against the West Indies at Headingley on Thursday.
Hoggard joins Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan and Craig White in the 13-strong party and if each member of the quartet plays it will be the first time that four Yorkshire players have appeared in the same England side in a Headingley Test since 1951.
On that occasion, Don Brennan, Len Hutton, Frank Lowson and Willie Watson all turned out against South Africa in a high scoring draw.
The last time that four players from a single county represented England at Headingley was against Australia in 1985 when Middlesex's Norman Cowans, Paul Downton, John Emburey and Mike Gatting were included.
Hoggard, who made his England debut against the West Indies at Lord's, was also called up for the last Test at Old Trafford but then released in time to play for Yorkshire against Somerset at Taunton.
At the moment, Yorkshire are again waiting to see if Hoggard will be released and, if so, if it will be early enough for him to play in the important Championship match against Leicestershire at Grace Road starting on Wednesday.
England have also called in-form left-arm paceman Alan Mullally into the squad in place of spinner Robert Croft, but the probability is that neither Hoggard nor Mullally will play and that England will opt for an extra batsman in Graeme Hick while calling upon the same four seamers as at Old Trafford - Gough, White, Andy Caddick and Dominic Cork.
They are unlikely, however, to release two players before Thursday and whether Hoggard is at Grace Road or Headingley later this week remains anyone's guess.
However, England chairman David Graveney gave a clear indication of his thinking: "We have decided to leave Robert Croft out as we do not think that spin will be needed at Headingley. Alan Mullally is in a rich vein of form at the moment.
"We were also keen to keep Matthew Hoggard in the squad as Headingley is his home ground. He has a good track record there. Our final line-up will depend on the assessment of the pitch and the local weather conditions, but at this stage we are more than likely to play seven batsmen plus the four seam bowlers who played at Old Trafford."
Gough and Vaughan both appear certainties for the Test and White is expected to keep his place on the strength of his bowling, but he needs to start making runs if he is to remain an England all-rounder on a permanent basis.
Headingley is already a sell-out for Friday and if the weather is good there should be excellent crowds on all days with the series delicately poised at 1-1 and two Tests still to play.
England: M Atherton (Lancashire), M Trescothick (Somerset), N Hussain (captain, Essex), G Thorpe (Surrey), A Stewart (Surrey), M Vaughan (Yorkshire), G Hick (Worcestershire), C White (Yorkshire), D Cork (Derbyshire), D Gough (Yorkshire), A Caddick (Somerset), M Hoggard (Yorkshire), A Mullally (Hampshire).
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